SYNOPSIS:

What the world needs now is better management.

Democracy is breaking because of money's increasing role and poorly informed voters. The present system of public elections is like having a mob deliver a verdict without attending a trial. Even worse, much of the mob is informed by paid advertisement and pandering pundits.

Tribunocracy provides a better election process, by utilizing citizens randomly selected from all the willing potential voters to serve as Tribunes who act as proxies. Like jurors in a trial the selected Tribunes will attend a public trial-like Tribunal Convention before voting. Tribunes will vote on the same ballot that would otherwise be voted on by the entire pool of voters. Justice requires a jury attend a full public trial in order to render an informed, fact- based verdict. Eventually, it will be recognized that for the same reasons, a selected group of Tribunes attending a Tribunal Convention is required for an informed fact based election outcome.

Tribunocracy is to elections what a trial is to to justice. Jurors spend substantial time listening to the parties, and their witnesses. giving them substantial factual information.Jurors carefully deliberate because they individually bear a meaningful responsibility. The same will be true for Tribunes who each have meaningful responsibility and spend substantial time listening to the parties and their witnesses.

Tribunocracy does not alter the role or importance of the public vote, only the way in which it is exercised. Tribunes will serve only briefly, are dismissed after voting and retain no special power. Tribunocracy requires no other changes to the present elections system.

Tribunocracy reduces the role of money and low or misinformed information voting.All Tribunes attend a public trial-like Tribunal Convention, before they vote. This attendance exposes them directly to the candidates and testifying parties for hours, over a period of days. Thus the need and value of paid prior advertising will be greatly diminished without laws restricting speech. Dishonest claims, incorrect facts, and illogical arguments will be less common because the opposition will have adequate opportunity to dispute them by presenting more persuasive evidence and arguments during the Tribunal Convention. Testimony will be under oath.

Tribunal Conventions expand meaningful citizen participation, and provide an educational public event. Many citizens learn about legal court trial procedure and the relevant facts by witnessing public trials. Tribunal Conventions will play a similar role. They will be watched because they are the ultimate reality TV, viewed in real time. When Tribunal Conventions are witnessed their superiority will become apparent and gradually expanding their use will become less less frightening and more appealing.Eventually, Mobocracy(our present system of mass voting) will be viewed as illogical, unjust, and primitive; the same way 'trial' by mob is viewed today.

Rapid adoption of Tribunocracy is not realistic or advisable; however experimentation followed by gradual incremental adoption is possible. Tribunocracy should first be introduced and tested in noncritical situations. For example, Tribunal Conventions might initially select officials not now elected such as city managers, or select low level judges. Gandhi did not free India in one giant step. He began by leading a march to the sea to make salt in defiance of English rule. Likewise, Tribunocracy should and will begin with very small steps.

Tribunocracy provides a desperately needed systemic improvement in our public election system. It will insure that the citizens empowered to vote as proxies, receive more exposure to facts and arguments before they vote. This gives ordinary citizens more power, not less. It dramatically reduces the role of money, and increases voter information. It motivates and enables each Tribune's best, most noble, and deeply involved participation. It provides education and transparency for all that witness it.